Chris Game

Visiting Lecturer

Institute of Local Government Studies

Contact details

Research

Research interests

Generally: almost anything to do with the politics of sub-central government, esp. in the UK but also comparative

More specifically: elections, electoral behaviour and electoral systems; political parties; political leadership; councillors and councillor roles; political management of local authorities; member-officer relations; central-local government relations

Current and recent projects

Writing one of the thematic papers for the independent Commission on Local Councillors on reducing barriers and increasing incentives to becoming and remaining a councillor. My paper focuses on the barriers and incentives created by the legal and electoral system (Summer 2007).

Updating the Association of Electoral Administrators’ Diploma Manual. I am re-writing the section on 'Public Administration', with particular emphasis on current issues facing electoral administrators (2006-07).

Discovering the history of the ‘lost’ Cotswold county of Winchcombeshire (Municipal Journal, 3rd May, 2007).

Acting, and writing, as ‘expert’ to the Birmingham Mail's petition campaign for a referendum on an elected mayor (2007/08) articles.

Producing 4th edition of David Wilson and Chris Game, Local Government in the United Kingdom (Palgrave) - 1,500 paperback sales in first six months! (2006)

Preparing a poster presentation on Birmingham’s 2005 election fraud trial for the Annual Conference of the American Political Science Association in Philadelphia (2006).

Writing a daily ‘A to Z of elections’ column for The Birmingham Post throughout the General Election campaign , in addition to longer ‘Perspective’ pieces on election timing, systemic bias in the electoral system, postal voting, the papal election, performance of the opinion polls – and, more recently, Curzon Street Station arch, public conveniences, Monty Panesar, the death penalty, the origins of football clubs, British Summer Time, etc.

Consultancy for Hampshire County Council, with fellow INLOGOV Associate, Bill Hamilton, on the Council’s piloting of scrutiny and area committees (2004/05).

Research study for the Local Government International Bureau (LGIB), with IDD colleagues, Simon Delay and Lara Green, on ‘Why should my local authority be involved in an overseas

Publications

Wilson D and Game C (2006)Local Government in the United Kingdom, 4th ed. (Palgrave)

Game C (2006) 'Comprehensive performance assessment in English local government’, International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 55:6, 466-79

Green L, Game C and Delay S (2005) Why Should My Local Authority be Involved in an Overseas Study? (UK Local Government Alliance for International Development / University of Birmingham)

Game C (2004) ‘Should the winner take all, or even quite so much?’ in Pike A (ed.), The Missing Modernisation: The Case for PR in Local Government Elections (Make Votes Count / ERS), 10-16